Girdo D’Italia preview: Countdown to the 104th Giro begins

The 104th edition of one of the most hotly anticipated races on the cycling calendar, the Giro D’Italia, is set to begin in a matter of hours.

Australia’s Ben O'Connor at last year’s Giro. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Wearing the Giro d’Italia’s coveted Pink jersey in the final 2020 stage will make Jai Hindley a marked man at this year’s race, says Santos Tour Down Under race director Stuart O’Grady.

The 104th edition of the world-renowned Grand Tour’s 3450km journey across the Italian peninsula in 21 stages pedals off with the individual time trial in Turin on Saturday night (AEST)

The 25-year-old West Australian shocked the UCI WorldTour last October, before he was pipped for the overall title by Great Britain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart from Ineos Grenadiers.

Racing for Sunweb, Hindley was just 39 seconds behind Geoghegan Hart.

Geoghegan Hart finished 13th in the 15.7km time trial between Cernusco sul Naviglio and Milan on the final day to secure the Italian Grand Tour title.

O’Grady – a four-time Giro d’Italia and 17 Tour de France race veteran who wore the yellow leader’s jersey for nine days in 1998 and 2001 – believes Hindley will be under enormous pressure to replicate his 2020 form in Italy.

“Jai pulled off an extraordinary ride last year and to start the last day in a Pink jersey that was absolutely phenomenal,’’ O’Grady said.

“He’s going to go in with a different approach and a lot more confidence but at the same time a lot more pressure.

“It’s going to be really interesting following him to see how he can back it up.

“For me, that’s going to be the most interesting story of the Giro.”

Eight Australians are on the Giro d’Italia’s start list including sprint gun Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), Michael Hepburn and Cameron Myer (Bike Exchange), with four making their Giro debuts.

O’Grady believes Hindley’s feats in 2020 will only encourage the Australian debutants, including teammate Michael Storer and Australia’s Bike Exchange members, Gawler’s Callum Scotson and Nick Schultz and Israel Start Top Nation’s Patrick Bevin.

“It’s a huge thing for them and when you see Jai Hindley in his first Giro last year and he almost won, they’ll think it’s not that bad,’’ O’Grady said.

“But we know Caleb (Ewan) is fast we know he’s going to win stages,’’ O’Grady added, given Ewan has already claimed three stage wins in the 2017 and 2019 Giro.

Hindley is ready for his third Giro D’Italia. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

However, O’Grady believes Bike Exchange’s Simon Yates from Great Britain is in flying form and is good enough to win overall honours in a peloton which also boasts Italian favourite, two-time Giro overall winner Vincenzo Nibali from Trek-Segafredo.

“He’s (Yates) got a good strong team surrounding him with really no other ambition which is critical coming into a grand tour,’’ O’Grady said.

“Bike Exchange is looking really good.

“He has to keep a cool head then you’ve got George Bennett from Lotto Jumbo who is going to try to have his moment to shine because he’ll be doing domestic duties in the other grand tours so.

“There are some fantastic riders there.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced O’Grady to sit in his lounge room to watch the race.

However, he will still be scouting for Australia’s only UCI WorldTour stage race, the Santos Tour Down Under, in preparation for the 2022 event in January.

“Part of my job is doing my research and keeping track,’’ O’Grady said.

“Normally we’d be over there with my Mummu Cycling tour group among the action and keeping your finger on the pulse.

“For more than 12 months we haven’t been to Europe, so you don’t have that relationship with the riders and the teams and staying in the awareness guile.”

AUSTRALIANS AT THE START LIST FOR THE GIRO D’ITALIA

Team: Bike Exchange

Michael Hepburn

Age: 29

Cameron Meyer

Age: 33

Honours: GC at the Santos Tour Down Under in 2011

Nick Schultz

Age: 26

Callum Scotson

Age: 24

Team DSM

Jai Hindley

Age: 25

Honours: Second GC at the Giro D’Italia 2020

Stage win at the Giro D’Italia 2020

Chris Hamilton

Age: 25

Michael Storer

Age: 24

Team: Lotto Soul

Caleb Ewan

Age: 26

Honours: five stage wins at the Tour de France, three-stage wins at the Giro D’Italia, nine-stage wins at the Santos Tour Down Under